Worcester County fared better than the state as a whole for new foreclosure filings in March, with the region dropping 7 percent compared to a 6-percent increase for the entire state.
An expansion by Worcester fuel distributor Nouria Energy Corp. that doubled its presence in Maine was funded by $32 million in credit from Citizens Bank.
Worcester has been ranked 33rd in the nation on a list of the 150 best cities in which to start a business, clinching the second highest rank for a New England city behind Boston at 14th.